


you don't have to love each other

by takemebacktothenightwemet



Category: Atypical (TV 2017)
Genre: Atypical - Freeform, Cazzie, Crowley's perspective, F/F, Fluff, UCLA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21755899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemebacktothenightwemet/pseuds/takemebacktothenightwemet
Summary: Casey and Izzie's relationship through the eyes of Coach Crawley.S2, S3 and after.
Relationships: Casey Gardner/Izzie
Comments: 5
Kudos: 321





	you don't have to love each other

Coach Crowley knew the introduction of a new team member, especially one as talented as Casey Gardner, would cause issues. Once the competitive side started, Crowley had to step in.

The race was one thing, but Izzie’s fall was another. And because it was hard to determine who started it, Crowley dragged them both by their ears into her office.

_“You don’t have to love each other, but you have to love each other.”_

It was different after that.

\--

Teenage drama was something Crowley was more than experienced in, she’d got her fair share years ago back in high school. But the up and down relationship between Casey Gardner and Izzie, told a different story.

The joking around, followed by a tension that was hard to determine. It didn’t help her runners, and it didn’t help the rest of the team that her two best athletes couldn’t stand to look at each other.

As the team Captain, Crowley went to Izzie first with a warning. “I don’t care what’s happened, but I want it fixed. This isn’t good for the team.”

Izzie told her she’d work on it.

\--

It changed Junior year, their dynamic. She watched Casey grow faster, Izzie right by her side, all whilst an awkwardness grew. It was as if they didn’t know how to act around each other anymore, barely knew how to speak.

Crowley saw the dwindled crowd, Casey no longer peered up at the stands for a presence, and neither did Izzie. Their focus remained on the run, or on each other.

Crowley also saw the stares, when they thought the other wasn’t looking. The secret glances that could only mean one thing in the world of a teenager.

\--

Her previous words played on her mind one late evening when Crowley was walking back to her car. She saw the track floodlights still lit and assumed someone had forgotten to turn them off. On her way, she took in the sight of Casey Gardner with her arms wrapped around the team Captain.

They were talking, though Crowley couldn’t hear a word she could see it. See their foreheads pressed together, and the laugh that rumbled in Izzie’s chest.

Crowley left the lights as they were, and carried on to her car. It made sense, she realised, but it hadn’t clicked until that moment.

\--

Crowley knew Casey was avoiding Izzie. Their interaction at the track meet was minimal and tempered, Crowley couldn’t believe how much young relationships went from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye.

Casey won, Crowley was ecstatic, but held back and allowed Casey to celebrate. If she saw her run away from Izzie, she didn’t mention it.

But this meant offers. It meant bigger scouts and full ride scholarships to UCLA, if she was willing to work hard enough.

Crowley called her into the office, told her the news, the interest in her talent, and asked whether she was up for training harder than she ever had in her life. “Think about it.” Crowley told her, and saw the conflicted look that crossed over Casey’s face.

She wondered if Izzie had anything to do with that look.

\--

If Crowley saw them hold hands through the corridors on the way to running practise, she didn’t bring it up. If the girls had something to tell her, they would.

Casey entered her office again mere hours later, informing Crowley she wanted to go for it. She wanted to train for UCLA, no matter the cost. Crowley knew she was making the right decision; it would be a waste of talent to turn it down.

Many of her students had moved on to UCLA, but she knew Casey’s presence would be a different one.

She also knew Izzie was waiting for her outside the door, and Crowley doubted Casey was aware of what she could be sacrificing.

\--

Crowley witnessed a sight she never wanted to see, and as a consequence Izzie and Casey were sat in the chairs in front of her. Both of them avoiding her eye and staring at the floor. Crowley herself felt like running out the room, but this needed to happen.

It was less of a reprimand, more of a warning. There was a time and a place, and neither of those were in the school locker rooms. Crowley made it abundantly clear there was nothing wrong with their relationship, but to keep things PG on school grounds.

They left red faced, and giggling, practically stumbling over each other. Crowley rolled her eyes, _kids._

\--

There was a shift in the team. Everyone worked a little bit harder, pushed that little bit further. Whether it had anything to do with Casey and Izzie’s shift to co-captaincy she didn’t know, but she had suspicions.

Izzie seemed very okay with Casey’s new role, and Crowley didn’t doubt she was the one to suggest it in the first place.

But she also saw the tiffs, the snappy words and short sentences. Izzie would stay silent, and Casey would run till her lungs gave out.

A talk was long overdue.

\--

“Remember when I said you have to love each other; I didn’t mean it quite so literally.” She joked, watching the smiles spread across their faces.

Those smiles faded as Crowley got serious. Their relationship couldn’t affect the team, couldn’t affect their progress. Casey was on her way to Los Angeles, Izzie not far behind. If they were both dedicated to achieving this, priorities had to be switched.

Crowley knew it was harsh, but realities had to be faced. If Izzie didn’t get the offer she wanted, and Casey did…Crowley could only imagine the outcome. They had to be prepared.

Though the mood had dropped, their hands were still attached to each other’s as they left.

\--

Casey refused Crowley’s offer for team Captain at the start of senior year. This time Crowley knew it had something to do with Izzie.

Approaching her at practise, Casey kept looking over her shoulder for Izzie, as if their conversation was in danger of being overheard. Casey knew what it meant, declining the position, she didn’t care.

Crowley shrugged, she couldn’t force the girl, and if Casey didn’t want it there was only one other person suitable.

“Izzie, can I borrow you for a minute?”

\--

As the seasons changed, it grew colder. The girls became more agitated, with their applications sent off and waiting months before they’d hear anything back.

Training numbers diminished in the final few weeks before Christmas break. Only Izzie, Casey and Quinn left on the track.

Soon it became two, and Crowley offered to let them go home early as snow started to settle. Both shook their heads, and carried on with sprints, each one a small challenge even if they didn’t say it out loud.

Crowley wondered if it would all be as light and frothy next semester.

\--

In the run up to college letters, Crowley saw the fights. Witnessed the heartbreak and the impact it had on their performance. She caught snippets at training, and watched Casey wipe away the tears when she thought no one was looking. 

Who ended it first she didn’t know, but she knew they were both wallowing. Izzie became distant and Casey distracted. She dropped out of the next track meet, and sat unfocused in Crowley’s office while she reprimanded her.

Crowley knew Casey wasn’t taking in any of her words, just letting them float past her ears.

How long this period would last, she couldn’t tell. She hoped for the sake of the team, they could work it out sooner rather than later.

\--

Offers were flooding in, but neither Casey nor Izzie’s had shown up yet. They’d both applied for UCLA, Crowley had helped with applications, and were solemnly waiting for the letter.

She walked past them in the hallway, huddled up against the lockers, speaking in hushed tones. Crowley gave them a quick smile as she went out of sight, managing to catch a sliver of conversation, but seemingly the most important part.

_“I don’t care about these stupid college offers; I just want to be with you.”_

Crowley sighed, if only they knew how complicated things got in the future. What she wouldn’t give to go back to that simpler time.

Casey’s offer came in first, followed a day later by Izzie’s, and they ran to Crowley with the envelopes in their grasp, unable to contain their excitement.

They both got in.

\--

Crowley knew how well the girls were doing in their academic studies, or how badly.

Biology was a weak point for Casey, and Crowley had to cut down her running time to get her to study. UCLA knew she was fast, they’d seen it with their own eyes, now they needed to see grades.

Izzie confided in her. She was scared her mom would do another disappearing act, and Izzie would be left to clean up her mess, and as a consequence she’d miss an exam.

Casey took her hand and told her she’d do whatever she could to help her if that happened.

Crowley admired the strength, but Izzie’s situation was not one Casey could handle alone. Crowley assured her if it came to that, she’d make sure Izzie sat the exam no matter how late.

She heard Izzie’s sigh of relief. 

\--

Crowley didn’t see much of either of them during exam season, something that pulled on her heartstrings. She’d known Casey for just over two years, Izzie for much longer, and their time at Clayton was slowly coming to an end.

But the ice had grown thick beneath their feet, and neither were scared of their relationship falling through.

Results still had to appear. As as the final paper came and went, there was no relaxation for either of them. They still turned up to the track, ran together and raced, but there was a newfound sense of fear.

Neither of them knew what the future would hold, but Crowley figured they’d hold each other’s hands through it all.

\--

They both visited Crowley at the start of the school year, before they were due to ship off to LA.

Crowley wished them luck, told them it would be tough, but they could both handle it. Casey looked over at Izzie, and they shared one of those looks Crowley would never understand.

Crowley took a leap and asked Izzie about the situation at home. Her shoulders tensed and Casey shifted ever so slightly closer to her, acting as her rock.

“ _My mom promised she’d look after them, and my grandma is there as well. I’ve told them if anything happens, call me.”_

It was wildly unfair Izzie had more responsibility than an adult twice her age, and wondered if the distance between her and her siblings would prove too much. 

They left soon after.

\--

Crowley read the news stories. Bringing up UCLA’s college newsletter on occasion to keep up to date.

_UCLA’S TRACK STAR CASEY GARDNER TO COMPETE AT REGIONALS._

She remembered when Casey was Clayton’s track star, remembered when Izzie was too. And though Izzie was featured from time to time, it was nothing as close to Casey’s fame.

_GARDNER ATTENDS TRIALS FOR JUNIOR US OLYMPIC SQUAD._

She wondered how Izzie was taking it, and hoped it wouldn’t all become too much for the young couple.

\--

The first email Casey sent was an article with Crowley’s name thrown in the mix. Mentioned as one of the people who helped her become the athlete she was today, Crowley felt a tear come to her eye.

She blamed it on hay fever.

Meanwhile Izzie’s oldest sibling, Lucas, had just started attending Clayton prep on a scholarship. Crowley kept an eye on him, but whilst they’d share a smile in the hallways, neither came close to interaction.

It seemed he wasn’t the athlete Izzie was, but whenever her name was brought up in assembly, he’d puff out his chest in pride. Wanting everyone to know that was his sister.

\--

The news of Izzie’s injury came in one of Casey’s emails. A torn ligament with surgery on the way.

Casey was nervous, she wrote to Crowley, worried that Izzie would never properly recover and that she didn’t want it to come between them. Crowley couldn’t help but be concerned also.

Izzie calmed her fears when she came back to Clayton, picking up her brother from school on the last day before Christmas break. She knew she was never going to be on the same level as Casey, knew her running would eventually become side-tracked, a hobby.

She would complete her psychology degree, and pursue a career in that field, her aim to focus on autism. Crowley knew about Casey’s brother.

_“That’s amazing Izzie, I’m very proud of you.”_

Crowley had nothing to be scared about.

\--

They graduated before Crowley could blink, before she could accept the fact that the teenagers she’d once coached were now grown women.

Casey was on her way to the Olympics, Izzie right by her side, and they both invited her to attend their graduation.

She shook Doug Gardner’s hand, and embraced a hug from Elsa. Sam was hovering nearby, his focus on Casey in her cap and gown. Crowley took her seat and watched the ceremony, realising how far they’d both come.

Casey shocked everyone by proposing on stage during her valedictorian speech. Izzie appearing from the crowd with watery eyes and a hand clasped over her mouth. Crowley could see them both shaking.

Izzie said yes, of course, and the room erupted into cheers, both girls clinging onto each other as if they had plans to never let go.

Crowley managed to congratulate them both, between the emotional outbursts of Casey’s mother and the talks from Casey’s dad.

Crowley didn’t see their hands fall apart for the rest of the day.

\--

She received an invite to the wedding almost 6 months later.

_You are cordially invited to the wedding of_

_CASEY GARDNER & IZZIE STEVENS_

_13:00, 4th January 2024_

_Reception to follow…_

Crowley had just seen another set of students leave, on their way to all different parts of the country. She welcomed the new ones, her track society growing since Casey’s fame, since her multiple Championship wins.

Izzie’s research into Autistic and ADHD was gaining popularity in the psychology field, Crowley had read her papers. Though she didn’t understand half the lingo, she knew Izzie was making a difference.

She attended the wedding, a beautiful event that Crowley almost always saw coming. She had to book the first day of the new semester off in order to go. It was only then, did Crowley realise the significance of the date.

6 years ago, Casey and Izzie met for the first time.

_“Everyone please welcome, Mrs and Mrs Gardner.”_

\--

The baby pictures arrived sooner than Crowley had expected.

_Eva Rose Gardner, born 19 thOctober 2025. 7lbs and 3 ounces. _

Casey had competed at her first Olympics the year before, awarded the silver medal in the 200m, and a gold in the 400m. Crowley had watched on TV, seen her run up to Izzie after the win and drape the US flag over her shoulders.

Now it would change, a baby would bring different challenges and pose new threats.

Casey wrote she was nervous to be a mom, scared she wouldn’t be the one Eva deserved, but knew that she would have Izzie by her side no matter what. 

Crowley smiled as she read it, sending off a reply before leaning back in her chair. She got a moment of silence until a knock sounded on her door. In stepped Payton Green, a junior runner of hers.

_“I want to do it; I want to go for UCLA.”_

Crowley was transported back almost a decade, when Casey Gardner stood in that very space, and spoke those very words.

She really had come full circle.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
